"My Thoughts, Ideas And Other Mental Problems"

A very lucky dog is enjoying life on a ranch just days after being hit by a car. Mountain biker Jarrett Little was on a ride near Columbus, Georgia, when he found the dog on the side of the road with a broken leg. Little put him on his back and rode seven miles into downtown Columbus, where he stopped so the dog could get some food and water. There, Little met Andrea Shaw, in town on business. The dog immediately went to her, and Shaw, an animal lover, decided to pay for his medical treatment and take him home to Maine. She named him Columbo after the town where they met. Columbo is healing now, and getting to know his new family. “I already can’t imagine what it would be like without him, and it’s only been a week,” Shaw told Inside Edition [Inside Edition]

When Kimberly Bermudez got off her Southwest Airlines flight to Jacksonville, Florida, she was a little richer. But the money isn’t for her — it’s for the first-graders she teaches at a low-income elementary school in Chicago. While chatting with the passenger next to her last week, Bermudez shared the challenges of being a teacher at a school where some kids come to class hungry and others are homeless. The man said his company donates to schools like hers. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and the passenger sitting behind her said he wanted to help, too. He handed Bermudez a stack of cash and told her, “Do something amazing.” Then the man across the aisle slipped Bermudez $20 and the passenger in front of her gave $10. Bermudez received $530 in total, and plans to use the money to buy books, backpacks, and school supplies for her students. [The Washington Post]

Walter Carr wasn’t going to miss his first day of work, even if it meant getting up at midnight and walking 20 miles. The 20-year-old lives in Homewood, Alabama, and needed to get to Pelham, where he would start his job with the Bellhops moving company. One problem: He didn’t have a car. So he decided to walk to the home of Jenny Lamey, his first client. Carr shared with the Lamey family that, after he earns his associate’s degree, he plans to start boot camp with the Marines. Lamey was so impressed, she contacted Bellhops CEO Luke Marklin, who drove from Chattanooga to meet his “incredible” employee for lunch. Afterwards, Marklin surprised Carr with the keys to an SUV. “Walter truly raised the bar,” Marklin told ABC News. [ABC News]

Retired music teacher Robert Moore has long dreamed of getting his students together for one more concert — little did he know they had the same idea. Moore retired in 1996 after spending 30 years directing the Ponca City Chorale in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Moore taught about 900 students, and some of them joined forces to plan a huge concert to show their appreciation. Almost 300 former students were able to gather to perform for Moore, coming up with an elaborate scheme to get him to the Poncan Theatre; when he saw all those faces from the past, he was in shock. Many told Moore they went into teaching and music because of him, and that he taught them discipline and the importance of hard work. “No man deserves this,” he said through tears. “I loved you then and I love you now. Thank you.” [CBS Sunday Morning]

An 8-year-old with a robotic hand is close to realizing her dream of becoming the first person to throw out the first pitch at all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Hailey Dawson has Poland syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that caused her to be born without part of her right hand. But with a 3D-printed hand built by a team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dawson can do anything she wants — including toss balls at MLB batters. She notched her 21st stadium last week with a pitch at Fenway Park. “I want people to know that if I can do it you can do it,” Dawson told ABC News. [ABC News]